Though Mindanao is rich in natural resources
and scenic beauty, the area has been historically disadvantaged
relative to the rest of the Philippines, obtaining fewer
social and economic benefits and suffering disruptions
from armed conflict. As a result, social and economic indicators
in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and
Regions IX and XII are the lowest in the country. Nearly
63 percent of the people live at the poverty level, nearly
double the national rate. About 21 percent of the barangays
in the ARMM are without schools. Only four students out
of 10 complete elementary school, and nearly 30 percent
of the population above 10 years of age are illiterate.
The high drop-out rates and the correspondingly high illiteracy
rate—along with
conflict and the lack of job-creating investment in the region—have
contributed to high unemployment. This leaves youth vulnerable
to recruitment by criminal elements and violent secessionist
groups. Access to quality basic education can provide a
solid foundation for economic growth and help the people
of the ARMM and conflict-affected areas break out of the
cycle of poverty and alienation.

A Unique Approach: Education
Alliances with the Private Sector

To help address these challenges, the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID)/Philippines
has launched a new education program to improve access to
quality education and livelihood skills in areas affected
by conflict and poverty, particularly in Mindanao. The principal
vehicle for implementing this new program is the Education
Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS)
Project.

To implement EQuALLS, USAID is partnering with the Philippine
Department of Education (DepEd), DepEd-ARMM, the U.S. Peace
Corps, the Asia America Initiative, Creative Associates
International, Inc., and six private sector alliances led
by the following organizations: the International Youth
Foundation; Save the Children-Philippines; the Knowledge
Channel Foundation; Synergeia Foundation; Real World Productions;
and the Brother’s Brother Foundation.

These private sector alliances are expected to double
the resources available for the EQuALLS program. By joining
with such private sector groups—corporations, foundations,
and NGOs—the U.S. Government pools not only their
financial resources, but their creativity, energy, and
expertise as well.

USAID assistance is focused on achieving four results:

Increased
community-based formal and nonformal learning opportunities,
especially in areas without schools or in conflict-affected
areas;

Reintegration of out-of-school
youth (OSY) into a peaceful, productive economy; and

Policy
reform and strengthened capacity to implement this
at both the national and local levels.

The EQuALLS Project

Launched in 2004, EQuALLS is a five-year,
$30.1 million initiative that combines the efforts of USAID
partners from government, civil society, and the corporate
sector. In coordination with DepEd and DepEd-ARMM, EQuALLS
has set the following goals:

Building foundation skills (reading
and numeracy) of young students,
especially in Grades 1-3;

Strengthening and expanding
the non-formal Alternative
Learning System (ALS);